Lubricator.



J. E. HUGHES.

LUBRIGATOR.'-

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9, 1909.

Patented Feb. 14, 1911.

gym KW M @NTTE STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

JOHN EDWARD HUGHES, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

LUBRICATOR.

Application filed August 9, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LJOHN EDWARD HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in force feed lubricators and has more particular reference to a lubricator of that type which includes an oil cup having positive means for pumping the fluid into the supply conduit for the part or parts to be lubricated.

In connection with a lubricator of the above type, the invention has for its primary object the provision of a positive and reliable feed, which shall be automatic and self-regulating in its action, supplying lubricant in proportion to the speed of the shaft or other movable part upon which it is employed.

The invention has as a further object the provision of a lubricator which may be readily setup and equally as readily dismantled when necessary, as for cleaning or other pur poses in a manner which will hereinafter be described in detail.

The invention has a further object the provision of the novel arrangement of parts which permits of the oil feed being visible from all directions, whereby the condition or the amount of the lubricant remaining in the oil cup may be ascertained at any time.

The above objects are attained by a novel construction and arrangement of parts which comprises more particularly a combined plunger rod and conduit to which the pumping piston of novel construction is made fast. The said piston in turn carries a valve controlled tube for conducting the lubricant from the oil cup to the supply conduit.

The structural details of the invention are set forth at length in the following description which is to be read in connection with the annexed drawings, the latter illustrating a preferred and advantageous embodiment of the invention, while the novel features of the invention are defined in language of the proper determinative scope in the claims appended at the end of the description.

In the said drawings: Figure 1 is a central vertical section illustrating a lubricator constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing the same assembled Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentcd Feb. 114:, 1911.

Serial No. 511,992.

with relation to the part to be lubricated, in the present instance a revolving axle or shaft. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking downwardly. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the novel pumping mechanism showing the assembled relation of all the elements thereof.

Similar characters of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The lubricator forming the subject-matter of the present invention is designated generally by the character A, and the shaft or axle by the character B.

The lubricator A includes an oil cup 1 having a cylindrical body and having its base formed with an axially extended stem which has a threaded portion 2 for engagement with a support and an enlargement 3 for engagement by a wrench or other suitable tool used to assemble or dismantle the oil cup with relation to its support, the enlargement 3 being flatsided, although the sides thereof do not appear in the drawing. Inasmuch as this feature is so well-known in a number of arts, illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary.

A tubular sleeve i is arranged centrally of the oil cup 1 and is preferably threaded into the base thereof, as at 5. The sleeve 4 constitutes a guide for a hollow plunger 6, the latter forming one of the elements of the pumping mechanism and serving also as the supply conduit between the oil cup and the shaft 13. The plunger 6 is passed entirely through the sleeve 4 and through an axial bore 7 in the base of the oil cup 1 and the lower end of the plunger rests upon the shaft B, which at the line of engagement therewith of the plunger 6, has a slight depression 79, this depression causing said shaft at said line of engagement to have an eccentric cross section and to serve the function of a cam in reciprocating the plunger 6.

The plunger 6 at its upper end is formed with an enlarged head 8 which by engagement with the sleeve 4 serves as a stop to hold the plunger against downward displacement. The pumping piston is indicated by the numeral 9 and comprises a disk-shaped body of slightly less diameter than the oil cup 1 and which has a central opening 10 surrounding the sleeve 4. The piston 9 does not, however, contact with the surface of said sleeve or of said oil cup,

and consequently annular 'passage-ways of restricted diameter are afiorded which permit of the flow of the lubricant from the chamber above the piston to the pumping chamber 11 occurring between the piston and the base of the oil cup.

The piston 9 is formed with a pair of oppositely located upwardly projecting posts 12, which may be cast integral with said piston or rigidly attached thereto in any suitable manner. The posts 12 are connected at their upper ends by an integral ring 13 which has a threaded engagement as at 14 with the head 8 of the plunger 6, the ring 13 and said head having flaring upper surfaces which form a continuous funnelshaped mouth to conduct the lubricant to the bore of the plunger 6.

The piston 9 carries at one side thereof an upwardly extending tube 15 which at its upper end has a horizontal extension 16. The latter has its end closed, but is formed in its under side with a discharge orifice 17 controlled by a screw valve 18 which is threaded into said extension, the orifice 17 being in axial alinement with the bore of the plunger 6, whereby the lubricant may be fed drop by drop from the tube 15 directly into the plunger 6. The provision of the flaring mouth above-mentioned serves to direct all of the lubricant into said plunger and to prevent the same from dropping or flowing upon other parts.

The piston 9 has an opening 19 extending to its under face and alined with the tube 15. The opening 19 has an inner wall thereof formed as a valve seat 20 for coiiperation with a ball 21, the latter constituting a check valve and being movable under pressure as the piston descends to admit lubricant to the tube 15 and as the piston ascends to close the opening 19 and prevent the lubricant already in the tube 15 from flowing back into the pumping chamber 11.

The oil cup 1 is closed by a dome-shaped cover 22 of glass which permits of the parts of the lubricator being visible from all angles, and of an inspection of the quantity and condition of the lubricant contained in the oil cup, as well as of the feeding of said lubricant to the plunger 6.

In operation the shaft B owing to its cam shaped formation will reciprocate the plunger 6 and the latter by virtue of the connections 12 and 13 imparts similar movement to the piston 9. As the piston 9 ascends, the lubricant will flow through the restricted annular passageways above referred to into the pumping chamber 11 and as the piston descends the lubricant in said chamber 11 will be forced into the tube 15, back flow from said tube being prevented by the valve 21; consequently after the ro tation of the shaft B has been continued for a sufficient length of time, the tube 15 will be entirely filled with lubricant and the latter will flow from the orifice 17 into the plunger 6. The movement of the tube 15 with the piston 9 is also effective in the discharge of the lubricant into the plunger and causes a regular dropping of the lubricant as distinguished from an intermittent flow thereof under pressure. Furthermore inasmuch as the positive actuation of the plunger is directly transmitted from the part to be lubricated, it will be apparent that the feed of lubricant will be in proportion to the speed of movement of said part.

Another advantage urged in favor of the invention is the readiness with which the parts may be assembled or dismantled, and this advantage will be apparent when it is explained that by simply removing the cover 22, the entire pumping mechanism, including the plunger 6, the piston 9, and the con nections thereof, and the tube 15 may be withdrawn from the oil cup. After said withdrawal the elements of the pumping mechanism may be quickly and readily disassembled by simply unscrewing the plunger 6 from the ring 13 and also unscrewing the tube 15 from the piston 9. In like manner the sleeve 4 may be as readily removed from the oil cup and the latter from its support.

To the above advantages of positive and reliable operation, sight feed proportionate lubricant feed, and readiness of assemblage and dismantling, may be added that of ineX- pensiveness, no special machinery being required for the production of the parts, nor are the parts themselves in any way complex, such as would tend to add materially to their cost.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In lubricators of the type set forth, the combination with a movable part having a cam surface of an oil cup, and pumping V mechanism therein including a reciprocatory lubricant supply plunger having a portion projecting beyond said oil cup and engaging said cam surface, said plunger supplying lubricant to said movable part, a pumping piston in said oil cup, means for connecting said piston to said plunger for movement therewith and means operable during the action of the piston to conduct lubricant to said plunger.

2. In lubricators of the type set forth, in I ing tube carried by said piston and having an angular extension formed with a discharge orifice in alinement with said plunger and check valve means in said tube to prevent retrograde flow of lubricant therein.

3. In lubricators of the type set forth, an oil cup, a tubular reciprocatory plunger passed through the base of the oil cup, a pumping piston arranged in the oil cup and closely associated With the inner surface thereof, the piston having an opening through which the plunger-passes, connections between the piston and the plunger whereby these elements are rigidly coupled, a tube carried by the piston and having a discharge end alining with the bore of the plunger, and a valve fitted in the piston and controlling the admission of oil therethrough to the tube.

4. In lubricators of the type set forth, an oil cup, a tubular reciprocatory plunger passed through the base of the oil cup, a

sleeve fixed in the oil cup and surrounding the plunger, a pumping piston arranged in the oil cup and closely associated with the inner surface thereof, the piston having an opening surrounding the sleeve, connections between the piston and the upper end of the plunger whereby these elements are rigidly coupled, a tube carried by the piston and having a discharge end alining with the bore of the plunger, a valve fitted in the piston and controlling the admission of oil therethrough t0 the tube, and a cover removably fitted upon the upper end of the oil cup.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN EDWARD HUGHES.

WVitnesses:

ARTHUR W. ALLEN, PERCY F. RICHMOND. 

